Rogaining:

Rogaining is team sport of long distance cross-country navigation and enjoying. It is closely related to orienteering and many people enjoy both sports. The events can take up to 24 hours on route choosen by the competitors.

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ERC 2009 Bulletin 4

European Rogaining Championships 2009

August 15-16th, 2009 YllÃ¤s - Finland

Bulletin 4 1.8.2009

Competition info

Event Centre

The Event Centre of ERC 2009 is at Y1 Ski Resort Restaurant in the village of Ã„kÃ¤slompolo. There will be road signs from Ã„kÃ¤slompolo to direct you to the centre. Please just follow the ERC 2009 signs.

Registration and materials

After arriving teams will register at the Competition Office to get competition materials. The registration is possible on Friday at 12.00-21.00 and on Saturday at 07.00-08.30. Each team will get number bibs, safety pins, SPORTident-cards and other materials used during the competition. The maps will be given at 9.00 on Saturday morning.

Teams are responsible for the material they receive and there is a fee of 70 euros for every lost SPORTident-card.

Timetable

Wednesday 12.8.2009

24.00 Competition area will be closed - no training allowed in the YllÃ¤s region except for dedicated training area.

Sunday 16.8.2009

Map

The map is in scale 1:40 000 and has contour intervals of 5 metres.
There are maplegends available at Karttapaikka page, see "Legend (pdf)".

The map is printed on 51 cm x 65 cm sized paper. Each team member will receive his/her own map and a plastic map cover.

Model event maps will be available in the competition center.

Course

There are in total 60 controls. Teams may visit the controls in any order.

Teams are not allowed to plan the course inside any of the buildings.

Most parts of the competition area are forestry lands and part of the area is protected â€“Pallas-YllÃ¤stunturi National Park. Competitors need to know and obey the special rules that apply on national park.

Controls

The controls are marked with an orange-white flag and a reflector. There is also SPORTident-unit at each control.

In the competition the checkpoint descriptions are given in symbols used by the International Orienteering Federation. Translations of the symbols should be available from national orienteering federations. IOF controls descriptions

There is a model control at competition center

The controls are numbered from 20 to 99. The first digit indicates points of the control e.g. control 24 gives 2 points.

Control descriptions will be given on a separate sheet of paper. Refreshment controls are shown in the control descriptions.

Punching System

The SPORTident timing system is used. SPORTident-card must be cleared before entering starting area. In case of a lost SPORTident-card it is possible to receive new one from the competition centre but the controls on the lost card must be visited again by the whole team to gain the points.

Teams are responsible for clearing the SPORTident-card before entering starting area. There are SPORTident clear stations close to the entrance of starting area.

SPORTident card must be attached to the competitor's wrist before entering the starting area. Card must be fastened in a way for it to be impossible to fall off or to be able to easily get off. Fastening will be checked at the starting area entrance. You will lose your place in the queue if you need to attach it again.

Detailed SPORTident card fastening instructions and fastening material will be distributed with competition material. Instructions are also available at ERC2009 website from the 5th of August.

At the entry gate of the starting area each competitor must punch at SPORTident check unit. Competitors failing to punch at the check will not be considered as started.

Visiting controls

All team members must stay together, i.e. within 20 metres from each other during the whole race. Team must punch withing 120 seconds at every control they wish to gain points from. The behaviour of the teams is monitored during the event. Competitors are not allowed to rest within 100 meters from controls unless the control is a refreshment control. Competitors are not allowed to spoil or damage controls, refreshment controls or any other structures built by organizer.

Water and refreshment controls

There will be springs, lakes or creeks at refreshment controls for drinking water. Competitors are not allowed to spoil or use the water for washing at refreshment controls.

Additionally other springs, lakes and small creeks can be used for drinking water. They are marked on the map.

Start and finish

The start and finish are located in the Y1 area. Competitors shall finish at latest on Saturday at 22.00 (8 h) or on Sunday at 12.00 (24h).

For missing the time line, a team is punished 1 penalty points for each starting minute. Teams finishing more than 15 minutes late will be disqualified and stated as late arrivals (8 hours). In the 24 hour competition team finishing more than 30 minutes late will be disqualified and stated as late arrival.

Obligatory equipment

For their own safety each team must carry a working mobile phone capable of calling to Finnish numbers and capable of receiving SMS in the competition area (check your roaming details and note the GSM standard) in a waterproof package and a first aid kit with emergency blanket, first aid gauze (pack or two rolls), plaster and sports tape. Each competitor must have a whistle, a water container, some food and a hat, spare undershirt and windproof jacket. Each team must also have waterproof pen or pencil.

Each team member must carry their own mug. A mug (weight: 38 g) will be given to each competitor during the registration at the Competition Office. There will be no disposable cups or mugs at the Hash House. Competitors have to use their own mug or cup to get water or other drinks at the Hash House and at refreshments controls.

Meals during the competition

During the competition competitors can eat and drink at the Hash House tent. Hash House is open from Saturday 15.00 till Sunday 13.00. There will be bouillon, bread, pickled cucumber, potato chips, raisins, bananas, water, juice, tea and coffee served. In the morning there will be porridge served.

Drinks are only available to own mugs, disposable cups will not be used in Hash House (see obligatory equipment).

Competitors are advised to bring with them sports drinks and nutrition which they are used to use during this kind of events.

In the terrain there is only water available. Competitors need to carry all other nutrition with them.

First aid

Each team must have a first aid kit (see obligatory equipment). At the Competition Office there will be first aid equipment for injuries, but not to be taken along.

In case of emergency

If your team faces an emergency during the competition, you must notify the organizers of the event immediately for further assistance if needed. If the emergency is life threatening, you must call 112, the common emergency number.

If it is a less hazardous emergency, please call the organizers at +358 45 6307851. There is a 24 hour service at this number. Please register this number on the mobile phone which you carry with you during the race.

You may call +358 45 6307851 also if a checkpoint has been vandalized or you come across another technical problem along the course.

Each team must leave one map with the intended route in the startup area. The team number must be marked on the back side of the map. This map will replace the intention sheets in the controls and will be used only in case of emergency to locate the team.

Showers

There is washing possibility after the race.

Meal after competition

After race meal will be served on Sunday from 13.00 till 15.00 at the Y1 restaurant. Free for competitors. Competitors have to shower before entering Y1 restaurant.

Prize giving ceremony

Prizes will be awarded 2 hours after the finish of each event in the Event Centre area. In other classes the best teams will be awarded. During the ceremony there will be also some lottery prizes for participants and to receive such prize you have to be present in person to collect it.

Special rules for Event Centre

Competitors are not allowed to use shoes with spikes or dobbs indoors.

Animals

In the National Park area there has been seen bears and wolfs every now and then but it is not likely to meet them during the competition. If that happens, stay calm and back slowly off from the animals.

Mosquitos and other insects will or will not be present during the competition. It depends strictly on the weather. Some of those are harmless and some might cause allergic skin reactions to some people. At the moment situation is good and there are only few flying mosquitos in the region.